Dalena Reporters l December 21, 2025
Political tensions in Osun State escalated on Sunday as the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) formally accused Governor Ademola Adeleke and his political allies of orchestrating a series of proxy attacks both verbal and media-driven against the APC’s newly-chosen governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and former governor and current Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola. The accusations were contained in a statement signed by APC State Chairman Tajudeen Lawal and made available to journalists in Osogbo.
In the statement, the APC leadership accused Adeleke who leads the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun of using “hatchet writers” and other proxies to heap “tantrums” on Oyebamiji, who emerged as the party’s governorship flagbearer in a consensus primary earlier this month, and Oyetola, who retains influence within the party as a national figure. The APC statement characterised these efforts as desperate attempts to distract from what it described as the “monumental failure” of Adeleke’s administration across sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, security and local-government affairs. The APC also warned that Adeleke’s officials should not blame Oyebamiji or Oyetola for the governor’s poor performance and predicted that the APC would reclaim governance in the forthcoming August 8, 2026 election.
The political sparring reflects broader factional tension in Osun politics. Oyebamiji, a former managing director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, was confirmed as the APC candidate in Osogbo after party leaders settled on his consensus nomination a move that already prompted party elders and supporters to call for unity behind his candidacy to avoid internal sabotage.
In sharp rebuttal, the Accord Party’s state chairman, Victor Akande, dismissed the APC’s allegations as a symptom of frustration and political desperation. Akande credited the Adeleke administration with visible improvements in workers’ welfare and public sector services, contrasting these with what he characterised as the APC’s mismanagement during its previous 12-year tenure in the state, including the period when half-salary payments for workers were reported. Accord’s statement sought to highlight accomplishments of the incumbent government and underscored that political attacks from the APC do not resonate with public sentiment in Osun.
Osun’s political landscape has been sharply competitive and at times contentious since Adeleke’s 2022 victory, which ended a long APC dominance under leaders such as Rauf Aregbesola and Oyetola himself. That election was legally contested and contributed to ongoing rivalry between the two parties. With less than a year to the 2026 governorship poll, the recent exchange between the APC and Accord Party deepens the narrative of fierce inter-party competition, campaign rhetoric and efforts to shape voter perceptions ahead of the pivotal election cycle.
As of this report, neither Governor Adeleke nor his spokesperson has issued a direct response to the APC’s allegations, even as social and traditional media continue to reflect intensified political debate across the state ahead of next year’s elections.